Switch-stand lock



L. R. SHAFFER swn'cn STAND LOCK Oct. 28,4924. 1,513,431

Filed June 2. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Get. 28, 1924.

LARKIN RICHARD SHAFFER, 0F GAR-LAND,

Application filed. June 2, 1924.

To G lli/172.0771 it may concern:

Be it known that I, LARKIN Bron/inn SHAFFER, citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Garland, in the county of Box Elder and State ofUtah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-StandLocks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to switch stand locks and has for one of itsobjects the provision of a locking mechanism for the switch operatinglever that will be inexpensive, of simple construction, and easilyinstalled in switch stands of the usual ty es now in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a locking mechanism thatwill not only effectively lock the switch lever but one that will bemaintained in or returned to its locking position by gravity.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel details ,of construction, and arrangements and combinations ofparts all of which will be hereinafter more fully described and thenovel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a switch standcontaining the present improvements.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a general view of the entire switch stand.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the lever obstucting member.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the pivoted end portion of the switch lever.

Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views of the operating arm for manipulating theobstructing member.

The switch stand shown in Fig. 4 is of the type now in general use,comprising a vertical tubular member 10 in which the shaft of target 11is journaled and a similar tubular member 12 in which is enclosed aportion of the switch operating connections and as is common in the art,the table 13 of the switch stand has a recess or notch 14 in itsperiphery in which the switch operating lever 15 engages when said leveris in its normal depen ing vertical position.

Serial 1T0. 717,360.

through which the projection 19 must pass when the lever is returned onits pivot. This lock prevents unauthorized persons operating the switchand forms no part of the present invention as its construction is suchas is ordinarily found in this art.

The lock of the present invention, however. comprises an obstructingmember, in the form of a ring 21, that is adapted to be interposedbetween the upper pivoted end r of lever 15 and a rigid abutment 22 suchas a cross pin mounted in casing 17 Preferably the npper end of saidlever is recessed or cut away as at 23 to insure the ring member 21seating firmly against the lever when positioned between the lever andsaid abutment. lVhen the ring is in this position the lever 15 cannotpossibly be turned on its pivot to moveout of notch 14 and assume ahorizontal position, such as is neces sary before the lever can berevolved in a horizontal plane to throw the switch, but to permit such amovement of the lever at times when an authorized person desires tooperate the switch means are provided for temporarily removing theobstructing ring from between the ring and the lever.

Such means for removing the obstructing member preferably take the formof a crank 24, journaled in the casing 17, on which said ring member 21is loosely carried, and at each of its ends said crank is provided withan operating arm 25 lo cated on the exterior of the casing whereby thecrank can be rotated on its axis to remove the ring from its obstructingposi= tion.

To insure the ring member invariably returning to its looking orobstructing position the crank 24 andv its operating arms 25 projectfrom the axis of the crank in different radial planes, the crank beingoffset, so to speak, with respect to said arms towards the lever 15.

Due to this construction, when the operating arms are rotated to raisethe ring ment 22 to the position shown in dottec in Fig. 3, the crankproper Will be br to rest by jamming the abutment before said armseither assume or pass vertical position or their upper dead center. Asthe arms 25 normally occupy a depending vertical. position the crankthus limits the movement of said to an arc of less than 180 and as thearms cannot, therefore, assume or pass a vertical upward position theirweight, as well as the weight of the crank itself, will insure the ringdropping back or returning b grzwity, to its obstructing positionimmediately upon the switch lever 15 being returned to normal dependingposition This, i Feet, means that there is little, it any, p-o litv ofthe locking ring remaining unintentionally in its upper or unobstrgositir '1 because, in the absence of any st the lever 15, said levermust necessarily drop back to its normal position a d said ring willconsequently be tree to be returned by gravity to its obstructingposition es ust described.

hat I claim is:

1. In a switch stand lock, the combination of a casing, an abutment iinthe casing, a lever adapted to norn'ialiy occupy a depending position, acrank journaled in the casing, a ring member carried by the crank andinto posed between the abutment and lever when the latter is in normalposition, and an arm on the crank on the exterior of the casing forrotating said crank about its axis to remove the rii from between theabutment and lever.

tion or a casing, an abutment wi casing, a lever ad pted to normallyoccupy a depending position, a crank journaled in the casira ring membercarried by the crank and interposed between the abulmei and lover whenthe latter is in norn a] position, and an. arm on the crank on theexterior ot the casing for rotating said crank about its axis to removethe ring fro '1 be tween the abutment and lever, said crank and armprojecting from a common pivotal center in different radial planes andhaving their movement limited to an arc of less than 18( 3. In a switchstand lock, the combination of a casing, an abutment within the casing alever adapted to normally occupy dependit 1 iii about its axis to removethe obstructing member from between the abutment and lever,

in a switch stand lock, the combination of a casing, an abutment withinthe casing, a lever, a crank journalcd in opposite sides ot the casingand having an arm on the ext ior of the casing, crank and rm en endingfrom their iferent radial planes and the movement of said crank beinglimited by the abutment to limit the n'lovement of the crank and a m andprevent the latter assuming or passing a vertical position, and a ringmember carried on said crank and normally positioned between saidabutment and lever.

5. in a switch stand lock, the combination of a casing, a normallydepending lever pivoted in the casing, an abutment Within the casing,and a crank journaled in the casing intermediate said abutment and thepivotal center of the lever, and an obstructing member on the crankinterposed hetween the abutment and lever,

said k havim an operatin arm on the exterior ot the casing for revolvingsaid arm and ren'ioving said obstruction; said crank, ohstructingmember, and operating arm being automatically returnable and held intheir obstructing positions by gravity .vhenever the lever assumes itsnormal position.

6. a switch stand lock, the combination of a 021"" g, a normallydepending lever pivoted in. the casing, an abutment within the caring, acrank joumaled in the musing, and an obstructing member on the crankinterposed betweenthe abutment and lever, said crank having an operatingarm on the exterior of the casing from revolving said crank and removingsaid obstruction, said crank with respect to its operating arm beingoffset toward the pivotal center of the lever whereby said crank,obstructing member and operating arm will be automatically returned andheld in their obstructing positions by gravity when the lever assumesits normal position.

LARKIN RICHARD SHAFFER.

